Good Morning! It is a cool morning at Cairnlea and the players have finished warming up. This week has been mostly overcast after a very hot week that was in the 30s. We have all been very happy with the excellent courts which are running at about 12 seconds.

Robert is R and Y and Simon U and K.

1. U to 2y W of the peg and slightly S.
2. R to peg high on the E bury.
3. K hits R from A baulk.

3(cont). R sent to 3y W of 2, K gets rush to 3 y SW of 1, approaches and makes the hoop and has a forward rush. He should go around.

3(cont). Simon is playing immaculate croquet, his pioneer at 4 is just a foot in front of the hoop and he rushes U to 5 after making 3. I wonder how far he will go on this break?

The Women's Final is being played on the adjacent court, Alison Sharpe is R and Y v Elaine Coverdale U and K. I didn't see the start but R stuck in 1 and K has now made 1 and is trying to get a break going from balls near IV and half way between 3 and 4.

Simon has made 2b. He sends R to 8y SW of 2 and makes 3b. Then he rushes U to 2y SW of 2 and sets up three little ducks on the W bury, just N of peg high, U on the bdry, R 5 ft East and K 6 ft further East.

Elaine fails 2 and Alison has the balls.

4. Robert plays Y from 2 y East of Corner I, hits U. The courts are quite flat with few noticeable hills. He puts U to 2, rushes K back to the bdry and rushes R to 1. He is very careful! Once again I wonder where he will stop? Will he tpo his opponent's K? My guess is yes. After 2 he has both R and K near 3. But he sends K S, to between 3 and 4. So a tpo now seems unlikely.

4(cont). Robert, playing Y, has made 5, with U as the pioneer at 6. He stops and think a after making 5. Will he set for a sextuple? After looking at a point SW of 1 he decides to send K to just N of 1, however he the rushes R to near the N bdry and sends it back to 3y NE of 1, so it will be a sextuple!
He lames 6 off U and rushes it to 6y NW of 1, then croquets it to 5y SW of 1. K is rushed to 2y NE of 1, moved three inches to a position wired from U and R has a 2 ft rush pointing at Corner III. I thin all his approaches to hoops have been to less than a foot, as were Simon's. R is left very close to corner III and Y 3 ft WSW. Robert comes to corner I and lies down to check that Y is open to U. I had a look and it appears to be unwired, but very close. He goes back to corner III and dithers, apparently unwilling to trust a referee. Eventually he sends Y to 5 y W of R, clearly open to U. KR is open to R.

5. Simon looks carefully and decides to play U at Y. He mis-swings and hits hoop 1, leaving U 3ft S of it.

6. R rushes Y to 3 y NNW of 1b and tries to peel it on the way to the balls at 1. Y rebounds to a few inches N of 1b. R rushes K into U, but only to a couple of yards N of the bdry, so he makes 1 off U, sends U to 8y WSW of 3 and rushes K to the N bdry 3y E of II. K is sent to 3 and he appears to abandon the sextuple, making 2 off Y with no attempt to peel Y. Y is sent to 4 as the pioneer and he looks to be setting up a tpo. yes! He peels K after making 3. Will he take two balls off after the tpo. If so he will then be on 1b with Simon on 1.

6(cont). Robert is playing quite fast, so I have my time cut out following the men and have failed to see what the women are doing, however Alison's Y clip is on 4b and Elaine is making a break, passing 6 With K as I watch. The other two clips remain on hoop 1.

Robert has peeled K through penultimate after making 6 with R.

6(cont). Robert has made 2b and is setting up to peel Y through rover before 3b. Success! Now we wonder whether he will take off one or two balls. I bet for two. But now he has sent U to 1b after making 3b so I expect him to peel Y through 1b on the way to penultimate. After 4b he rushes Y to 2y NNW of 1b. The peel bounces off to a few inches in front. He send U to rover and makes penultimate off K. He rush peels Y through 1b to level with the peg,mends it to just E so the peg and makes rover off U. K is left near the peg. After rover U is rushed to 5 y W of the peg and sent to 2yESE of the peg. He pegs K off, rushes Y to peg high on the E bdry, takes off to the peg Anders out R, leaving U for 1 and Y for 2b. Both clips on the same hoop.

7. Simon takes contact from Y and attempts to put Y to 2 while getting in front of 1. He fails, going past 1 and setting up half way between the S bdry and the hoop. Y is 3y E of 2, just not wired.

8. Robert sends Y to corner IV.

9. Simon runs 1 to 6y NE of 2, sets up in front of 2.

10. Robert goes to a non-runnable position 3 y W of 2b.

11. Simon runs 2 and goes to a non-runnable position 4 y W of 3. Nerves?

12. Robert sets up in front of 2b. Simon sets up in front of 3.

13. Robert walks up to 3, looks carefully and comes back to run 2b to the S bdry. He then sends Y to 5 y NNW of 1.

14. Simon runs 3 to peg high and shoots at Y, 28 y, and hits to clapping. He walks to hoop 4 with ball in hand and returns. Then he sends Y to the jaws of 4b attempting, but failing to get in from of 4. Much mirth from the gallery. He goes to 3 to have a look, returns to his ball and sends it to the W bdry, maximum distance from both baulks.

15. Robert, for 3b with his one ball, may be open on U. They both look. But Robert now lifts Y (wiring lift), goes to A baulk and puts Y in front of 3 b, 3y S of the hoop.

16. Simon sends U to the S bdry, 8y E of corner I.

17. Robert shoots at U, hitting the 14 harder and rushing U to 2 y N of corner I. U is sent to 4y ENE of 6 and Y to a yard SW of 3b. He bounces off to a foot in front, but not giving U a wiring lift.

18. Simon hits U to 3y E of corner I.

19. Robert runs 3b to 4y W of 4b and sets up in front of that hoop.
20. Simon sends U to 2 1/2 y in front of 4.
21. Robert runs 4b and goes to corner II.

22. Simon runs 4 and sets up 2 1/2y in front of 5.

23. Robert looks at U, goes to the middle of the W bdry and then snds Y to peg high on that bdry.

24. Simon sticks in 5.

25. Robert takes cap off, replaces it - twice - goes back to look at U in 5, takes cap off and replaces it, and moves Y to the W bdry level with 6.

26. Simon calls referee, runs 5 to 4y SE of 6, looks at E bdry and sends U to it, level with 6.

27. It is starting to look like an impasse. Robert sends Y to 3y W of 2.
28. U goes four y east of the bdry.
29. Y misses U.
30. U hits Y (5y) sends Y to near the N bdry and fails to get good position for 6, rebounding to an un wired position 2y E of the hoop.
31. Y hits U. (7y), rushing it to level with rover. Takes off to penultimate but finishes almost in the jaws. It must have been just S of the hoop as he sends it to the W bdry level with 2.

32. Simon sends U to 2y from the E bdry, 9 y S of the N bdry.

33. Y goes to peg high almost on the W bdry.

34. u goes to the E bdry almost opposite Y. With both clips on the same hoop I am thinking impasse.

35. Y moves a few feet.

36. u moves a few feet.

37. Y goes to the middle of the N bdry.
38. Simon looks at a position wired from Y on the E bdry. He sends U there.
39. Robert looks at shooting at U as it may not be fully wired. Thinks for 100 seconds and then sends Y to peg high 3y from the W bdry.

40. Simon looks at a position on the E bdry wired from Y, but sends U to corner III.

41. Robert sends Y to a positio apparently wired from U by hoop 2.

42. Simon moves U 2y W of III.

43. Robert shoots at U, hits (30y). Sends U to rover. I'm having trouble keeping up as my two-finger typing on the IPad is not good. Y bounces off penultimate. He had a three y 35 degree shot.

44. Simon asks the Referee for a wiring lift which is quickly given. He takes U to the N bdry and hits Y to peg high between hoops 1 and 2. He approaches 6 to 2 1/2y and runs it to 2 y N of 6. He hits Y to the N bdry, sends Y to 2b and bounces off 1b.
45. Robert sends Y to 2y W of corner III.
46. Simon fails to get in front of 1b - 1y NE.
47. Robert misses to the W bdry.
48. Simon hits (7y), croquets Y to peg high and gets a 2y shot at 1b which he runs to 6y N of 2b. He hits U and approaches 2b from 20y, getting in front at 3 1/2y. He runs it to the S bdry and has a rush on Y towards the peg.. He hits it to 3y SW of 5 croquets Y to 6y S of 4b and fails to get in front of 3b. He sets U to one side of 3b, about a yard in front.

40. Simon looks at a position on the E bdry wired from Y, but sends U to corner III.

41. Robert sends Y to a positio apparently wired from U by hoop 2.

42. Simon moves U 2y W of III.

43. Robert shoots at U, hits (30y). Sends U to rover. I'm having trouble keeping up as my two-finger typing on the IPad is not good. Y bounces off penultimate. He had a three y 35 degree shot.

44. Simon asks the Referee for a wiring lift which is quickly given. He takes U to the N bdry and hits Y to peg high between hoops 1 and 2. He approaches 6 to 2 1/2y and runs it to 2 y N of 6. He hits Y to the N bdry, sends Y to 2b and bounces off 1b.
45. Robert sends Y to 2y W of corner III.
46. Simon fails to get in front of 1b - 1y NE.
47. Robert misses to the W bdry.
48. Simon hits (7y), croquets Y to peg high and gets a 2y shot at 1b which he runs to 6y N of 2b. He hits U and approaches 2b from 20y, getting in front at 3 1/2y. He runs it to the S bdry and has a rush on Y towards the peg.. He hits it to 3y SW of 5 croquets Y to 6y S of 4b and fails to get in front of 3b. He sets U to one side of 3b, about a yard in front.

49. Robert sends Y to 3y SW of 2.

50. Simon runs 3b and watches carefully to see if it also runs 4b, bur it passes to the W of the hoop to the N bdry. He puts it on the E bdry 9y S of corner III.

51. Robert sends Y to peg high 5y from the W bdry.

52. Simon moves U 3 yards S of where it was.

53. Robert ditto.

54. Simon moves U a yard N.

55. Robert looks to shoot but changes his mind a nod goes to 4y NE of 1.
56. Simon has disappeared to the clubhouse. He returns

56(cont). Simon sets up in front of 4b.

57. Robert shoots. Hits (37y?). What confidence! Puts U to 3y S of rover and gets in front of penultimate which he runs peg high. Misses U to the S bdry.

58. U hits Y (7y). Takes off to 4b, gets 2y position but not in front takes position.

59. Robert takes position at rover, 2y dead in front.

60. Simon runs 4b, takes good position at penult.
61. Robert runs rover to S bdry, walks to N bdry, walks to W bdry and sends Y to middle of W bdry.

62. Simon sticks in penult.

63. Robert deals referee, Mike Cohn, to watch the peg. Misses.

64. Simon calls referee. Runs penult to 5y N of rover, runs rover to S bdry, calls referee to watch the peg. Misses to N bdry - very close.

65. Robert calls referee to peg. Misses to W bdry.

66. Simon calls referee to peg. Hits to applause from all. Simon wins the first game of the best-of-five, 26-25.

The referee sets off to check the hoops.

Game 2. Simon won the first, 26-25. They change balls, Robert is now R and Y.

In the Women's Final, Alison won the first game 26-9. In the second game of three she has her R clip on the peg and the Y clip on 1. Elaine has clips on 1 and 3. Elaine misses the long lift to corner IV. Alison has a rush from the E bdry to the K ball near the W bdry, S of 2. She should finish on this turn.

Back to the men!

1. Robert puts out R as a super-shot to 4y SW of the peg.

2. U to max distance on the E bdry.

3. Y misses U from A baulk, just to the right.

4. R is taken to B baulk and makes a double of the Y and U. Misses both, just to the left. I think the release of tension after the last game is affecting them.

5. Simon, playing Y, will make a break and while he does so I will also take a break for a coffee.

5(cont). Wrong! I meant that Robert, playing yellow, would make a break.

5(cont). Robert makes 5 and sends his partner ball to a yard N of 2b. I don't think is messing with a sextuple.

5(cont). Robert leaves U at 2, wired from B baulk, after making 1b. U is S is 2, probably not rushable to 1. He is going to leave K at 4, wired from A baulk. But he sends it S of 4, open to A baulk. R is left on the E bdry, 16y N of corner IV as he takes off to move U to the W bdry, peg high. He leaves Y in corner II.

Alias on wins the second game 26-2 to applause, and becomes the 2016 Women's Champion.

6. Simon lifts his K to the end of B baulk and hits Y in II. He puts Y out in front of 2 and gets a 5y rush on U which he cuts to the S bdry in front of 1.
He over-approaches 1 and sets his K directly in front at one foot.

7. Y hits U to the S bdry (17y), sends it to 4y W of 1 and rushes K to the E bdry, S of R, then sends it to 5y NE of 2. He takes R to the E bdry, wired from U (?) and sets a rush for R facing K.
8. U shoots at R or Y, 25y, and hits R.

8(cont). Simon, playing U, sends R a few feet into the court and rushes Y to 2 1/2 y NE of 1. He makes 1, sends Y to 4y NW of 3 and rushes R to the E bdry, level with 3. He takes off to K, makes 2 and is away on a break. Will he try a tpo? Apparently not. Where will he stop?

9. I just lost half an hour's commentary. Simon made a bad leave after his 9, Robert declined a 7 harder to hit a 17 harder with his R ball and completed a triple on time to win the second game 26-9.

One game all. The referee is checking the hoops.

Game 3.

I wrote up the first four turns but lost the commentary when I hit "Send" and was told "Sending commentary. Please wait". After five minutes I gave up and lost it all.

Simon is R and Y and started with a super-shot. He hit on the third turn but bounced off 1. Robert is going around on turn 4.

4. Robert finishes 9 with K peg high 4y from the W bdry, U 4y E of the peg and his balls in corner IV with a rush for his backward ball, R, to the North. The Y clip is on 4b, all others on 1.

5. Simon takes U to the end of A baulk and takes a long time swinging before missing.

6. Robert should finish game 3 with a triple.

6. But he sticks in hoop 2 with U at 3 and K at 4.

7. Simon with U misses Y to the W bdry.

8. Robert, with R, runs 2 and hits K (5y). As I said before, he should finish with a triple. He rushes his partner to about a foot in front of 4b (12 yard rush from about 5 feet). He peeling attempt does not go through. It may or may not be rush-peelable.

8(cont). It was rush-peeled and he is likely to peel rover on the way to 3b.

8(cont). He did and wins the third game 26-0.

Robert leads Simon 2 games to 1.

Game 4. Robert has R and Y.

1. R to 4y WSW of the peg.
2. U to max distance on the E bdry.
3. Y hits U from A baulk.sends U to 5yESE of 2 and is hampered by his backswing on the rush of R to 1, but copes and gets it to 4 Y ESE of the hoop. He approaches beautifully and has a 3-ball break.

3(cont). But he bounces off hoop 4 with R only 4y from A baulk.

4. Simon plays K from A baulk and rushes R to near hoop 2. He takes off to Y and rushes it to the S bdry with U adjacent. Y is sent just N of 4 and U rushed to the S bdry in front of 1. He approaches 1 to 35 degrees at a yard and runs 1 up to R, near 2. Then he rushes R to 3, takes off to Y and rushes it to U, near hoop 1. He leaves Y 3y N of the end of A baulk and rushes U to hoop 2. Making 2 he has an easy break.

4(cont). Simon takes his Y to 4b after trying to rest R on the back of hoop 1. It went through, so after 3b he sent his partner ball, U, to the E bdry and rushed Y to the S bdry, croqueting it to 7y SW of hoop 2. He almost went too far with K but was ably to hit R to the S bdry. he then played a monster shqot putting R to 1 ft E of corner II and going to his ball on the E bdry, setting a rush for U to corner IV.

The clips are now K on 4b, Y on 4 and the others on 1.

5. Robert plays R from where it lies and clips it to 7y S of 2. He will take off to the two opponent balls and should have a break with R.

5(cont). But he fails to approach 1 and retires to the N bdry leaving K just N of 1 and Y near 2.

6. Simon shoots K at U near the E bdry and hits (24y).

6(cont). He goes to R on the N bdry and sends it to 6y E of corner II and two yards S of the N bdry. He then rushes Y to 5 y SSW of hoop 1 and retires to his partner on the E bdry, 8y S of corner III, leaving a rush for U towards corner IV, both balls on the bdry.

7. Robert goes to R, shoots at K and misses (28y).

8. Simon plays U, with Y quite close to hoop 1, where the U and R clips are. He leaves K near the E bdry and rushes R to the S bdry, then he sends R to hoop 2 and has a rush on Y to the East. He approaches and runs 1 and has a rush to the East. He hits Y gently to hoop 4 and takes off nearly too hard getting a rush on K to 4y E of R. He makes 2 off R and rushes R back to K. The he rushes K to 3 and has the break under control.

8(cont). After 3 Simon leaves K near 4b and sends R to 5, using Y to make 4...but sticks in 4 with U only a yard away and this is his hoop.

9. Robert hits U, makes the hoop and has a laid break.

9(cont). He goes to 4b and leaves a diagonal spread, with U by the peg, K about 4y from the W bdry and his balls on the E bdry, about level with hoop 5.. R has a rush to the West.

10. Simon lifts U and shoots at R from B baulk, about 4y from III. H misses to IV.

11. That should have been "He misses".
Robert starts his break.

11(cont). But sticks in 1, to everyone's surprise. But the ball slides back a little.

12. Simon shoots at his partner in IV but misses.

13. Robert has a slightly hampered shot at the balls in IV , which he hits. He should be away on his second break which he should finish with a triple to win the match.

13(cont). He plays the cannon, sending U to 5 y SE of 3 and K to a couple of feet S of 1 to spirited applause. He makes 1 and rolls K to 3y W of 3 going to U a really long equal roll. He makes 2 off Y and rushes Y to 3, starting his triple.

13(cont). Yellow is placed in a peelable position with a croquet stroke, K rushed to the N bdry and croquettes to 4 and he makes 3 off U, starting his triple.

13(cont). However Y failed to go through 4b and bounced back to about a foot from the hoop. He makes 4 off K and rushes K North, placing it accurately NW of 4b and positioning Y in from of the hoop. He takes off to U at hoop 5, makes 5 and sends U to 1b, going to Y. He peels Y through 4b, rushes K to 6 and continues on his triple, now a delayed one.

13(cont). After 6 he sends K to 3y E of penult, sends Y as pioneer to 2b and makes 1b off U. The he rushes U to the N bdry, croquets it to better position East of penult and rushes K to N of hoop 2b, croqueting it to hoop 3b and making 2b off Y, the peelee. He then rushes Y accurately just N of penult, takes off to U and takes off again to K at 3b.

13(cont). Wrong! He rushed U to the S bdry and sent it back to not such a good position 3y NE of penult. He makes 3b off K but fails to get a rush and croquets it to 3y W of penult going to Y which he rushes to 4y N of penult.

I'm down to 13 percent of battery so hope he finishes without a problem!

13(cont). From 4y he puts the peelee on the E wire of penult, rushes U to 4b, makes that hoop to the bdry and rushes U to 5y E of penult.

13(cont). U is sent o 4y NE of the peg and he gets artist on K to 18 inches from Y he croquets his ball, R to 7 jinx he's from Y and gently hits it to a central position . He will be able to send it down to rover while running the hoop with R.

13(cont). He does so, but Y hits the peg and goes to 3y SW of the peg. He hits K, sends it to 4y from the S bdry, directly behind rover and gets a rush on U, which he rushes to 3y behind Y. U is sent just behind rover and his rush on Y is 2 1/2 ft. He rushes it to 2 Y N of the hoop.

13(cont). The peelee bounced off but R ran the hoop to the bdry. He hit K to 3y NE of hoop 1.and is considering whether to try some bombards. I think he has decided against any and he puts K to 4y E of the peg, U to 5ySW of 2 and takes his balls to near corner IV.

14. Simon lifted U to A baulk and missed Y. Robert finishes 26-12 and wins 3 games to 1 to become the 2016 Men's Champion.

My battery is at less than 10 percent. Thank you all for reading!

Goodbye until the Worlds.